Union Min Vayalar Ravi’s wife passes away

Mrs Mercy Ravi, wife of the Union Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Mr Vayalar Ravi, died early in Chennai on Saturday at a private hospital following a kidney failure. She was 62 years.

Mrs Mercy was taking treatment in Kochi for some time after which she was brought to a specialty hospital in Chennai, sources said, adding, the end came early this morning. The Congress Union Minister from Kerala was at her side when the end came.

Mrs Mercy had been a Congress MLA in the Kerala Assembly representing Kottayam and the Ravis have a son and two daughters.

It was a love marriage between Vayalar and Mercy after they had taken a liking to each other as students in the Maharaja’s College in Kochi .

The DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr M Karunanidhi, on hearing of Mrs Mercy’s death, along with some of his Cabinet colleagues, visited the hospital where Mrs Mercy died and personally paid homage and conveyed his condolence to Mr Vayalar Ravi.

Union Ministers including the Shipping Minister, Mr GK Vasan and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President, Mr KV Thankkabalu were among those who paid their last respects at the private hospital in Chennai.

The body of Mrs Mercy Ravi was later taken from Chennai to the Ravis’ native place in Alappuzha District in Kerala for the last rites later this evening, sources said.